as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
poorly worded instructions that must have resulted in a lot of head-scratching
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Recent Examples of head-scratching
The head-scratching claims included: Hurricanes are not supposed to happen in September or October.
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Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
Each team has had one head-scratching turnover so far.
—Andrew Greif, NBC News, 1 Oct. 2024
Jones muffed the catch on a first-quarter kickoff against the Titans, then clumsily kicked the football forward, where Tennessee’s Julius Chestnut recovered for a head-scratching turnover.
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2024
That underscores how Lamar — a stellar performer, no doubt — is sort of a head-scratching choice, especially after SoFi Stadium hosted Super Bowl LVI with a halftime show featuring West Coast rappers Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg and Anderson.Paak.
—Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 9 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for head-scratching 
Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
Each team has had one head-scratching turnover so far.
—Andrew Greif, NBC News, 1 Oct. 2024
Jones muffed the catch on a first-quarter kickoff against the Titans, then clumsily kicked the football forward, where Tennessee’s Julius Chestnut recovered for a head-scratching turnover.
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 12 Sep. 2024
That underscores how Lamar — a stellar performer, no doubt — is sort of a head-scratching choice, especially after SoFi Stadium hosted Super Bowl LVI with a halftime show featuring West Coast rappers Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg and Anderson.Paak.
—Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 9 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for head-scratching
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head-scratching
Noun
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In Arizona, that ruling left confusion between two conflicting laws, and temporarily stopped clinics from providing abortions as courts worked out what was legal in the state.Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
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The crowd immediately erupted into laughter while Dismukes looked between the two in confusion.Shania Russell, EW.com, 3 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Unlike the multi-sensor setups of Waymo and Cruise, Tesla’s reliance on cameras alone presents challenges, particularly in low-visibility conditions like fog, snow, or harsh sunlight.Michael Khouw, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024
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Plot: Marge accidentally kills Flanders during one of his fog walks.Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Six weeks later, what began as a missing persons case became a murder mystery, as Karen's body was found hidden beneath a tangle of vines by a caretaker near Bledsoe Cemetery in Dyer County.Gemma Schneider, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2024
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There’s also a big tangle of conflicting feelings and emotional contexts at play here.Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near head-scratching
Cite this Entry
“Head-scratching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head-scratching. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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